This was the year Portland came face-to-face with its blossoming, narrowly defined international reputation for "keeping it weird." Portland then slouched, dropped its head and let out a long sigh of defeat. We're not all underemployed artisan cheesemakers who moonlight in tall-bike polo leagues, but damn if everybody's not in a band. And while the local indie-rock world's prevailing winds aren't too far off the national average—with many of our fine local groups producing rock of the dreamy, spacey, electronic variety—many of Portland's metal and experimental artists are gaining national acclaim for making masterful music that resides right on the edge of accessibility.

My tastes, however, run a bit palatable. I hope you find something you like here, but if not—try turning the page. Oh, and happy new year.

The more time I spend with this gorgeous, whip-smart collection of puzzle songs from the vastly underrated Steve Hefter, the more I love it. âLong Distance Call,â in particular, is a generation-defining song.